Mechanical arms are often used to support a wide variety of devices, such as but not limited to display screens, touch screens or monitors. Such mechanical arms may often provide any of stationary, adjustable and/or movable support, wherein positioning or movement may provide lateral movement, rotation, tilt, and/or variation of height.
Mechanical arms are often used in a wide variety of biologically sensitive environments, such as but not limited to hospitals, laboratories, medical and/or dental offices, and hospices. However, many prior mechanical arms often include structures, e.g. such as but not limited to covers, fasteners, trim, and/or pivots, that are readily contaminated, such as by dirt, dust, grease, germs, blood, sweat, chemicals, and/or other materials. As well, such exposed mechanical structures are not highly or thoroughly cleanable.
As well, while some prior mechanical arms have provided adjustable height, such arms are not typically designed for frequent adjustment and heavy use. For many such structures, screen movement is typically sloppy, and joints loosen quickly. Furthermore, such designs typically include pinch points and/or exposed gaps, which are not readily cleanable.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a mechanical arm structure that reduces the risk of contamination. The development of such a structure would constitute a major technological advance. As well, it would be further advantageous to provide such a structure that provides a high degree of cleanability. The development of such a structure would constitute a further technological advance.
While some prior conventional mechanical arms have provided some adjustability over a range of angles, such designs do not offer high performance over a full range of positions. For example, while a mechanical arm may be adjusted to provide adequate support within a central region of a range of motion for a monitor, adjustment of such an arm at a point toward the top of the range of motion often results in travel back downward towards center, unless friction of the assembly is increased to retain the monitor at the desired high position. Similarly, adjustment of such an arm at a point toward the bottom of the range of motion often results in travel back upward towards center, unless friction of the assembly is increased to retain the monitor at the desired low position.
Some prior mechanical arms having adjustable height have used gas springs having a pivot point at one end, which is mounted about a screw or bolt. Adjustment of the screw or bolt in such a configuration results in travel of the pivot point of the spring, along a line that is collinear to the travel of axis of the bolt, such that the leverage, i.e. the mechanical advantage applied by the gas spring, changes for any of different weights or different loads. In some such designs, the screw or bolt may be mounted at an angle to attempt to provide acceptable counterbalancing for different weights.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a mechanical arm structure that provides a high degree of adjustability throughout a wide range of motion, without an undue requirement to apply friction to retain a chosen position of the arm. The development of such a structure would constitute a significant technological advance.